Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yoalisha’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Yoalisha’, characterized by its compact, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; freely branching habit; dense and full plant habit; uniform and freely flowering habit; daisy-type inflorescences with elongated oblong to ligulate-shaped ray florets; red purple-colored ray florets; and natural season flowering about October 1 st  in the Northern Hemisphere.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Yoalisha’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium, commercially grown as a garden Chrysanthemum and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Yoalisha’.

The objective of the breeding program is to create new garden-type Chrysanthemum cultivars having inflorescences with desirable inflorescence forms, attractive floret colors and good garden performance.

The new Chrysanthemum originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in January, 2003, in Salinas, Calif. of a proprietary selection of Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number 00-M401, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with the Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Yomindy, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,880, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. in October, 2003.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by vegetative cuttings was first conducted in Alva, Fla. in January, 2004. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Yoalisha have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Yoalisha’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Yoalisha’ as a new and distinct garden Chrysanthemum cultivar:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit; dense and full plant habit.     -   3. Uniform and freely flowering habit.     -   4. Daisy-type inflorescences with elongated oblong to         ligulate-shaped ray florets.     -   5. Red purple-colored ray florets.     -   6. Natural season flowering about October 1^(st) in the Northern         Hemisphere.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about two weeks         later than plants of the female parent selection when grown         under natural season conditions.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the female parent         selection differed in inflorescence form.     -   3. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were red         purple in color whereas ray florets of plants of the female         parent selection were coral in color.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the male parent, the cultivar Yomindy, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were smaller and more mounded         than plants of the cultivar Yomindy.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered slightly earlier         than plants of the cultivar Yomindy when grown under natural         season conditions.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the cultivar Yomindy         differed in ray floret color as plants of the cultivar Yomindy         had slightly darker-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Empire Courtney, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,014. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Empire Courtney in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were smaller, more mounded         and stronger than plants of the cultivar Empire Courtney.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered more uniformly than         plants of the cultivar Empire Courtney.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the cultivar Empire         Courtney differed in ray floret color as plants of the cultivar         Empire Courtney had lavender pink-colored ray florets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Chrysanthemum.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Yoalisha’.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Yoalisha’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Fletcher, N.C. during the summer in an outdoor nursery and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in a commercial garden Chrysanthemum production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 29° C. and night temperatures averaged 16° C. Plants were grown in 15-containers, exposed to long day/short night conditions and pinched about two weeks later. About two weeks after the pinch, the photoinductive short day/long night treatments were started. Plants used in the photographs and for the description were about three months old. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar     Yoalisha. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number 00-M401,             not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar             Yomindy, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,880. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About four days at temperatures of             about 21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About ten to twelve             days at temperatures of about 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance.—Herbaceous daisy-type garden Chrysanthemum.             Stems upright and outwardly spreading giving a uniformly             mounded appearance to the plant. Freely branching habit,             about five to six lateral branches develop after removal of             terminal apex (pinching) each with numerous secondary             laterals; dense and full plant habit. Strong and vigorous             growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 21 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 30 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 18 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.             Internode length: About 1.5 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Pubescent. Color, developing: 146A. Color, older: 199B.         -   Leaves.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length: About             5.3 cm. Width: About 4.5 cm. Apex: Cuspidate. Base: Mostly             truncate. Margin: Palmately lobed, sinuses between lateral             lobes mostly parallel. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Fine pubescence; veins prominent on lower surface. Color:             Developing foliage, upper and lower surfaces: 147A. Fully             expanded foliage, upper surface: 147A; venation, close to             147B. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 147B; venation,             close to 147B. Petiole: Length: About 1.5 cm. Diameter:             About 2 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent.             Color, upper surface: 147A to 147B. Color, lower surface:             147B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Daisy-type inflorescence form with elongated             oblong to ligulate-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne             on terminals above foliage. Disk and ray florets arranged             acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescences not fragrant.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural season conditions, plants             flower about October 1^(st) in the Northern Hemisphere. At             other times of the year, inflorescence initiation and             development can be induced under short day/long night             conditions (at least 13.5 hours of darkness). Early             flowering habit; plants exposed to photoinductive short             day/long night conditions flower about 53 days later.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color             and substance for about 3.5 weeks in an outdoor nursery.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—About 43 inflorescences develop             per lateral branch.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About             1.1 cm. Shape: Oblate. Color: More grey than 82D.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 5.2 cm. Depth (height):             About 1.8 cm. Disc diameter: About 1.2 cm. Receptacle             diameter: About 1.5 cm. Receptacle height: About 5 mm.         -   Ray florets.—Shape: Elongated-oblong to ligulate.             Orientation: Initially upright, then about 90° from vertical             or perpendicular to peduncle. Aspect: Initially incurved,             then mostly flat. Length: About 2.9 cm. Width: About 6 mm.             Apex: Emarginate. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous, satiny. Number             of ray florets per inflorescence: About 52 arranged in three             or four whorls. Color: When opening, upper surface: 78C.             When opening, lower surface: 75D. Fully opened, upper             surface: 72A; color becoming closer to 72B with development.             Fully opened, lower surface: 75A to 75B; color becoming             closer to 69C with development.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular, elongated. Length: About 6 mm.             Diameter: About 1.5 mm. Number of disc florets per             inflorescence: About 130. Color, immature: Apex: Lighter             than 146D. Mid-section: Close to 145D. Base: Close to 157A.             Color, mature: Apex: Close to 7B. Mid-section: Close to             145C. Base: Close to 145D.         -   Phyllaries.—Number of phyllaries per inflorescence: About 20             arranged in about one or two whorls. Length: About 8 mm.             Width: About 2 mm. Shape: Elliptical. Apex: Acute. Base:             Truncate. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, waxy. Texture,             lower surface: Pubescent. Color, upper surface: Close to             138A; towards the margins, 138D. Color, lower surface: Close             to 137A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 4.5 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Angle: About 45° from vertical. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Pubescent; longitudinally ridged. Color: Close to 148B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen number: About five             per floret. Filament length: About 2 mm. Filament color:             Close to 145D. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther shape:             Oblong. Anther color: Close to 14A. Pollen amount: Scarce.             Pollen color: 14A. Gynoecium: Pistil length: About 5 mm.             Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color: Close to 145C. Style             length: About 1.5 mm. Style color: Close to 145D. Ovary             color: Close to 155A.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to     Chrysanthemums has not been observed on plants grown under     commercial conditions. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have     demonstrated excellent garden performance and to tolerate     temperatures from about 0° C. to about 38° C. 

1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yoalisha’ as illustrated and described. 